Photos show how Camp David, the president's private escape, has changed through the years
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- President Franklin D. Roosevelt turned a Maryland camp into a presidential retreat in 1942.
- President Dwight Eisenhower changed the name to "Camp David" after his grandson.
- Subsequent presidents added amenities including a pool, a chapel, and "Golf Cart One."
Located in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains, Camp David serves as an escape for US presidents to unwind away from the White House and meet with world leaders in a more relaxed setting.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the presidential retreat when his preferred vacation, cruises aboard a presidential yacht, became too risky during World War II, according to the White House Historical Association.
Over the years, various presidents have enhanced the rustic mountain getaway with amenities such as a heated pool, a non-denominational chapel, and the president's own "Golf Cart One" to drive around the 180-acre retreat.
Take a look at how Camp David has changed through the years.
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The name "Shangri-La" was the name of a fictional kingdom in the book "The Lost Horizon" by James Hilton.
Robert Knudsen/White House Photo/John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
The retreat center was originally built in 1938 as a summer camp for use by government employees as part of The New Deal's Works Progress Administration, so it wasn't equipped for chilly weather.
AP
David Eisenhower was 5 years old when his grandfather named the presidential retreat after him. Today, David Eisenhower works as the director of the Institute for Public Service and a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication.
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Aspen has four bedrooms, a kitchen, an office, and a patio.
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The helicopter flight from the White House to Camp David takes around 30 minutes, according to Eisenhower's presidential library.
Nixon Library
There is also a second pool further out on the grounds.
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Camp David measures 180 acres and includes miles of walking trails through the Catoctin Mountains.
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President Jimmy Carter convened Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David in 1978, where the leaders negotiated a peace treaty between the two countries.
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Plaid and wicker furniture were popular decor trends in the 1970s.
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FDR was the first US president to deliver fireside chats over the radio in 1933. Reagan brought them back in 1982, and every president since has continued the tradition except for President-elect Donald Trump, who stopped recording weekly addresses about two years into his first term.
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Reagan held a groundbreaking ceremony for the chapel at Camp David in 1988, and George H.W. Bush dedicated the space during his presidency in 1991.
George H.W. Bush revisited the chapel to celebrate Easter in 2006 during the presidency of his son, President George W. Bush.
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President George W. Bush had a placard made for his golf cart labeling it "Golf Cart One," a reference to Air Force One. He drove it during visits to Camp David in 2006, 2007, and 2008.
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Leaders from the UK, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada, and France joined Obama at Camp David in 2012 to discuss the European debt crisis.
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
Camp David also has a bowling alley and a movie theater.
Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead
Trump described Camp David as "very rustic" and told reporters in 2017 that they would tire of it after 30 minutes.
He spent more time at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, which became known as his "winter White House."
Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz
The wicker dining set and plaid couches have been replaced with sleek leather chairs and recessed lighting.
